Christmas With You
by Sstarshine
Summary: (Agencyshipping) Black wonders if White has any plans for Christmas. And when he finds out she actually does, it's not as simple as he thinks.
1. Just Ask Her

**This was my story for last year's Christmas on Wattpad, now I'm going to re-upload it. For those who have already read it, please expect both minor and major changes to the plot. And whether you have or haven't, I hope you like the story.**

 **Focus: Agencyshipping.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokéspe.**

* * *

-11.00 pm-

Black was in White's room helping his president with her work and this had become a fixed routine for both of them lately. The BW Agency was invited to Striaton City to participate in an ambitious project. The short film was scheduled to be shot in a few days; thus, the agency president and her employee couldn't possibly go to sleep until a few hours after midnight with all the work and preparations they had to deal with.

White was working at her desk. It was full of papers, and the papers were full of figures, designs and detailed plans for the shots. Black could hardly imagine how White could handle all those things at the same time, but the girl was really into it. Black could tell so because she would turn to him and ask him to do this and that for her sometimes. He couldn't help but admire his friend a lot.

However much he admired her, there was this one thing that was bothering him. Black loved having her as company. The boy loved accompanying his president to many places and both of them could help each other pursue their dream. He respected the workaholic White who rarely missed any chance to bring fame to her agency. Even though he knew their dreams were quite different from each other, he enjoyed working with her every day.

However, he always felt something was wrong about the girl.

He was worrying about her. No. In fact, he was feeling sorry for his best friend. More than once, he found the thought suddenly strike him—poor White always worked so hard. She was really into her dream that she almost forgot to enjoy other things, trivial or not, as a normal girl of her age. Speaking of age, they were only 14.

And one of those occasions was coming soon. He couldn't believe that none of them had ever talked about this in the last few weeks. And until Black decided to discuss about it with his president, there were only a few days left. In fact, he wanted to take this chance to casually ask her out.

Because Black was too shy to confess to White that he liked her so much, and the boy really thought he would never have the balls to tell her unless she told him the same thing first. Or he swore—just a hint would be enough for him to gather his courage and confess his true feelings for her. However, he hadn't found even a smallest signal of it so far. Everything they had been doing with each other could only tell him that they were enjoying being best friends to each other, although he sometimes tried to catch the nuances behind her expressions but he wasn't sure. He wouldn't risk ruining their friendship due to a wrong interpretation, but he also didn't want to maintain this status quo forever. It was time for Black to make a move.

And now, he decided to be the one who broke the silence.

"Prez?"

"Yes?" said White, her eyes still being on the paper.

"Do you know Christmas is coming?" Black inhaled deeply before asking.

Her hand stopped writing. The girl looked up a little and said,

"Yes."

 _There's no turning back now,_ Black thought, and the boy decided to ask her the thing that had made him uneasy the whole time.

"So… do you have any plans for Christmas?" he slowly asked.

There was a short silence after the question and this made his heart beat so fast. The boy could smell something dangerous was about to happen. He anticipated her eruption of how much work they still had and how he could even think about wasting time on such a thing.

However, he immediately regretted for thinking wrong about his friend. White just put her pen down but her eyes were still on her paper. She said softly,

"Yes."

Black almost jumped from his chair. He examined her response carefully before asking,

"Really? Then… what is it, may I know?"

White flinched for a second before reaching inside her bag for something. She took out a small piece of paper which looked like a ticket. She then turned to Black and handed him the paper.

"Here you go."

Black took it from his friend. It was actually a ticket as he guessed—a plane ticket, with his name on it, to this region called Kalos which he never heard of before.

"There is this newly opened ski resort in a city called Snowbelle. And I think… well… it's a good way to spend Christmas, right?" the girl said with a smile.

Black couldn't believe it. He never imagined his boss actually had a plan for both of them. Just the idea of staying at a luxurious resort simply blew him away. He wondered how long she had hidden this from him but it didn't matter; he was being speechless.

"Wow… woowwww… wwwoooowwwww… I can't believe you prepared all of this for us!" he gasped, his hands trying to cover his mouth falling open. "I mean, this is not what I've ever expected at all, to be honest. It's just… Wow! PREZ! You won't believe how happy I am now." He grinned from ear to ear.

"Ahh… don't mention it Black! I'm glad you are happy!"

"So we're leaving in five days, huh? Wait, is it the day they will finish filming? Perfect! Everything is perfect!" Black almost yelled, punching the air ecstatically.

And suddenly the girl let out a long breath. Black slightly stopped his movement in the air as he sensed something unfavorable to come. White, now looking straight into his eyes, said with a sad tone,

"It's not ' _we'_ that I'm talking about. It's _'you'_ only."

The boy's grin faded.

"W-what?"

"I'm so sorry Black."

Black had no idea what was going on. He couldn't keep his mouth close when White suddenly apologized to him.

"Wait, Prez, for what? What are you talking about?"

White placed one hand on her chest and inhaled deeply as if she was about to say something that had also troubled her for a while.

"Yesterday, during a meeting, the director said the date of filming has been changed. There are some problems with the preparations so it will be delayed for one day. And…"

She hesitated a little but Black already knew the rest. She meant—

"That'll be on Christmas day, huh?" he slowly completed her sentence.

All those happy emotions quickly disappeared and he started to feel empty in his chest. The boy tried to figure out why his friend didn't tell him about this extremely urgent situation until now but he couldn't think of any reason.

"So does it have anything to do with _'me'_ and _'we'_? he asked.

White was now playing with her fingers. She kept fidgeting on her chair, refusing to look at Black in the eyes.

"Prez?"

And she was made to look at him. The girl managed to answer in her tiny voice,

"Because I don't want to ruin your Christmas. You've been helping me a lot, not this time only but the whole time, and from deep inside I'm so grateful for that. You deserve a vacation for yourself, so I… booked this trip for you only in gratitude for what you've done for me. I was about to tell you but since you asked me first, um… yeah…"

Black looked at the number on the ticket one more time; his head was now filled with buzzing tinnitus from nowhere. He needed to think of something to say but there were being so many things happening in his head right now. Musha's pokéball was out of reach and he found himself freezing at where he was. The boy could swear that he wasn't angry at all, but he was somewhat disappointed at the situation and at the girl's offer.

Yes, Christmas was supposed to be a special occasion when you spent time with the ones you love, either family or best friends. But what if he could only enjoy it by himself while the one he really wanted to spend time with had to work her ass off without his aid? And she even paid the whole thing for him. Until then, Black found no significance whatsoever in her offer—nothing. It would be just a normal day like any other day.

"If that's the case," Black said after having thinking it through, "I don't need to go anywhere and leave you behind with everything. If there's no _'we'_ , there's no _'me'_ either."

"No!" White replied immediately as if she had foreseen this. "Black, listen to me! I can work every day, but it'd be unfair if you have to, and what's worse is it's because of me. You have already helped me a lot. And I don't want you to force yourself to stay."

"No. You listen to me, Prez!" Black said, trying to keep a neutral tone of voice. "You can't say I force myself to stay; it's not true. I still owe you for everything, you know that, Prez! It's the least I can do for you now. We are best friends, right? I can't just leave you to handle all those things alone. I'm absolutely not fine with that. Just let me stay, I want to."

"Black," said a consistent White, "please listen to me. Even if you're willing to stay, I'll still feel very bad if you don't understand me. This whole business—I appreciate every single help from you, but I can't just drag you along every time. There's something I must handle alone, because I'm the president. And you are my employee, right? So you have my order, you will not work on Christmas day and you'll leave for vacation, the one I've already planned for you."

"But…"

"Please, Black! If you ever consider me your friend, listen to me just once!"

And there she used that tone again. Every time she wanted to end an argument, she would use it. Most of the time Black had no problems with it because he knew he was fine with everything if she didn't want to keep an argument going forever. However, when he was ready to persuade her, it wasn't something he expected to hear.

But he still stopped it.

Again, there was a silence between them. But this time it was longer.

Black just couldn't make it. He failed in his attempt to either persuade her to stop working or just casually ask her out to have fun as friends, both of which actually never had a chance to be mentioned. And he knew that if he kept reasoning with her, it would lead to nowhere. His argument was strong, but hers was immovable.

Eventually, he said,

"I don't want you to be alone on that day just because you will send me away to have fun by myself. It doesn't feel right, Prez. Aren't you afraid you will feel a bit… lonely?"

"Oh, it's okay, Black. Don't you worry about me!" She grinned, looking surprisingly happy. "I'm never lonely with my work and my dream. I also have Bubu-chan, remember?"

"Hmm… alright," Black mumbled.

"Your trip—It'll be fun, Black. I promise."

"If you say so… _but it's not what I mean, you baka!_ "

Those last few words he kept for himself only.

After that, the agency duo went back to work and they only stopped working until a few hours after midnight.


	2. What You Don't Know

**I like using the English version of cities and pokémon names but I like the Japanese version of their nicknames. It's kind of a habit so sorry about that.**

* * *

-7.50 am-

Black looked at the grey sky above Striaton City. Unova was going through a harsh winter. The weather was bitterly cold; it snowed most of the time, sometimes raining, which made staying inside absolutely ideal.

Unfortunately, the agency—or White, to be precise—sent Black on a mission to gather all the pokémon actors for the short film. She gave him a list of pokémon scattered around Unova. These pokémon had already been registered to the BW Agency and were on standby. The agency would send people to collect them directly if they were needed.

"Opelucid, Lacunosa, Humilau, Virbank. And Anville. Arghhh! This will take me a whole day!"

Black groaned when he saw the locations on the list. Now he had to fly to these places one after another. The boy stood still for a moment to figure out the city he would visit first. He then took out a pokéball and sent out Warr.

"Warr, are you ready for a long journey?"

The eagle pokémon gave him a trusty cry and friendly pecked him on his beanie. Black climbed on Warr's back and gently hugged its neck.

"Humilau City, let's go!"

…

-11.30 am-

People stopped what they were doing and began to spread out. Most of them formed groups and left the studio for lunch. The president, however, entered a small eatery alone; this was where she and Black often spent their lunch break at. She ordered some sandwiches and sat at their favorite table next to a window. While she was eating, the girl couldn't help recalling the conversation a few days ago yet again.

The president still believed she was doing the right thing for him. She wanted him to be happy; it was actually that simple. She was quite sure she won the conversation and he would fly to Kalos as she planned the vacation for him. And he would be able to do whatever he wanted, literally, during that time. Some skiing and training, maybe. When was the last time he trained with his pokémon? She hadn't seen him blabbering on about his latest battle technique lately. And it hurt her that he couldn't be living with his dream just because of her.

She knew he wanted to talk about this so she had tried to avoid him recently. Even when there were just two of them together, the girl made sure her friend wouldn't find it easy to bring up the subject by interrupting him just when he was about to mention it. This had discouraged him and he really stopped after numerous failed attempts, though it resulted in her feeling so guilty about it.

White never wanted to think that she actually forced Black to do what he didn't want to. But… did she imagine seeing some kind of sadness in his eyes when she made that final decision? Did he really mean it, that he wanted to stay with her no matter what happened?

 _Aughhh… what's wrong with you? He couldn't possibly mean it. He just felt bad for you._

And this was the reason why White sent him to different places to collect the pokémon actors today. She didn't want to face him so much because she knew he wouldn't refuse one last chance to talk about it just like what he'd been doing in the last few days. She was feeling really sorry for pushing him away. But it was for the greater good. For his own good.

Tonight, he would fly to Kalos.

No matter how hard she tried, the girl couldn't lie to herself. She wished they could be together tomorrow.

…

-1.05 pm-

Black just finished receiving an Emolga from a very old lady in Opelucid City. After politely asking her to sign a lot of papers, the boy bid her farewell and later stopped at a fast food restaurant in the city. He ordered a burger and went to sit at a table next to a window. He took out the list and counted how many places remained.

"3 down. 2 to go. But I'm about to reach the far side of Unova!" Black tore his hair out and groaned inwardly at the thought of flying across the rest of Unova. Then he took one bite of the burger and thought about what happened between him and his president.

Black wanted to talk to his president again about her decision. The boy certainly would have no fun spending time at a far off ski resort alone. He'd rather stay by her side to do whatever she asked him to. He had to admit that it was almost too late to change her mind; he'd been trying again and again but he couldn't make it. However, his instinct told him that it wouldn't hurt if he made one last attempt to persuade her. There would be a slim chance she would agree to let him cancel his flight and stay.

He had one last chance before his flight took off at midnight, tonight.

However, in case it didn't work—

Black finished his burger in a few more bites and headed west to Route 9. He hurriedly entered the Shopping Mall Nine and began to look around eagerly.

Just in case it didn't work, he would definitely try something else so that he wouldn't regret wasting this special occasion not letting her know how much she meant to him.

…

-9.25 pm-

Black just returned to Striaton City from his mission. After handing the pokémon to the members of the film crew, the boy went back to the hotel which the studio kindly arranged for the agency duo. Though he got really worn out, he decided to head for the girl's room first.

"Hey Prez, I'm back. And I've also got your favorite hot chocolate here."

He knocked twice and waited but no one answered the door.

"Prez?" He knocked again. Then the boy realized the door was closed but not locked.

 _How could you be so careless, Prez? What if a bad guy sneaked in and kidnapped you?_ Black thought. But what if she knew he would return and come to see her so she left the door unlocked? _Well, maybe…_

Black slowly opened the door and carefully peeked inside.

And there he saw a tired White sleeping at her desk. It seemed like the president had reached her limit so she just collapsed on the desk, her loose hair covering the whole face; papers were seen scattered here and there on the floor.

Black decided not to wake her up because he knew she would go back to work.

However, it also meant his last chance to persuade the girl was gone.

But it couldn't be helped.

 _Why don't you ever take care of yourself, Prez? What if I'm no longer with you one day?_ Black thought to himself and sighed. He hesitated a little, but decided to pick her up and carry the girl to her bed.

At that moment when he noticed her face was so close to his, had he ever realized she could look so beautiful when she was sleeping soundly? He always loved looking at her when she didn't notice him doing but this time, it was special. He could see her lips slightly opened, a few strands of curly hair resting on them as he slowly walked across the room. This whole experience gave the boy a warm smile on his face, a moment that would forever be engraved in his mind as he would never allow himself to forget it.

 _I like you, Prez. If only you could know it._

…

"Don't… leave… me… alone…"

She suddenly talked to him and this scared the hell out of Black. His heart missed a beat and he almost dumped the girl on the floor by reflex. Fortunately, he calmed himself just in time to realize her eyes were still closing and the girl was still breathing steadily.

Did she just sleep-talk?

Black carefully put his friend down and set her in the most comfortable position. He then wrapped her up in a warm blanket. Just now, he was more certain that she was still sleeping. But what did she just talk in her sleep?

 _Is she feeling my presence here? Did she just say something like don't leave her alone? Or did she just tell me to get out and leave her alone?_

 _Maybe I should go back to my room and start packing._

Black left a note so when White woke up, she would know that he came. He picked up the papers on the floor and sorted them out into neat piles so that the girl could easily find his note. And just when he was about to finish, something fell onto the floor.

He picked it up and immediately realized what it was. It was a ticket, the same type as the one she gave him the day before. And Black was still having his own ticket in his bag.

So whose ticket was this?

 _Prez…_

And the boy started to understand more about what was happening, or what was supposed to happen, to be exact.

Black finished his work in the quiet of the room and after that, he wrote something more into the note. He came to his friend and carefully put his Christmas present next to her.

"See you later, Prez," he whispered.

Looking at the sleeping girl for one last time, Black left her room and went back to his own room. He packed his bag with enough warm clothes for his trip and some other items for discovering the regional pokémon.

It was Christmas Eve tonight. They were supposed to have finished everything and enjoy their Christmas together.

"Good evening, Mr. Black. Are you going outside this late? I suggest you wait until the morning when the snow stops falling, according to the weather forecast."

The doorman greeted Black, hesitating to open the door. But the boy himself showed no hesitation. He didn't slow down when he reached the door and sent out his pokémon.

"I have to go," he mumbled.

The bald eagle pokémon looked confused but it still lowered its body for its owner to climb up.

"We're going _south_."

* * *

 **Enough with Black's POV. The last chapter, also the longest, will be mainly about White's POV.**

 **...**

 ** _"What if I'm no longer with you one day? What if one day I just disappear?"_**

 ** _Feelsbadman (sobs)_**


	3. Christmas With—

-5.00 am-

White woke up to the chirping of a pidove landing on her balcony. The sky was now much clearer than it was the night before; it was going to be a beautiful winter day. She felt really refreshed as if it had been months since the last time she could have a long and sound sleep. She lazily rolled onto her stomach and lay there in searching her memory for what happened last night.

The girl remembered sitting at her desk to check some final preparations for the film before she dropped off not long after that. She also had this weird dream in which she was carried in bridal style by Black; both of them were so happy together. Also in her dream, she tried to tell him not to ever leave her; Black didn't answer but he looked at her and smiled reassuringly, implying a firm _yes_. And most importantly, she had no idea how she magically ended up in her bed like this.

After racking her brains and trying to figure out what the possibilities could be, she buried her face in the pillow and gave up. The girl then sat up and realized some changes in her room.

The first thing was her desk now being unbelievably neat. There was something on it which looked like it used to be hot chocolate. The second thing, also the most suspicious, was this _black scarf_ carefully wrapped around her neck. On this cold winter day, it gave her such a warm feeling that she didn't want to take it off.

There was only one person who could do this; White already had an answer in her head but she was not sure. She slipped out of bed and went to check the hot chocolate; it was already ice-cold. However, what took her attention was a small note lying next to the chocolate. The girl could easily recognize her employee's handwriting.

It read,

 _"Good morning Prez. I suppose you had a good sleep. You were already sleeping when I returned and I didn't want to wake you up so I just carried you to bed. Please don't think of me as a perv, Prez!_

 _I also bought you your favorite hot chocolate on the way back but it must be cold chocolate now hehe._

 _I just want to see you before I leave but I guess I won't have a chance to say goodbye. And I think you could be so busy today that you wouldn't take good care of yourself so here is my Christmas present. Please wear it the whole day or you might catch a cold or something. Just for today. Every time you feel tired, just look at it. I'm sure it will help cheer you up._

 _Merry Christmas Prez!_

 _I will see you really soon."_

White read the note over and over again. She couldn't help feeling so happy because she never imagined Black would be so caring. _I've never seen this side of him before. And… 'really soon'? What does he mean by 'really soon'?_ She suddenly had a vision of him coming to her out of thin air and the girl chuckled softly at the thought.

And then White realized her dream last night was the truth. He did carry her to her bed himself; she could feel it even when sleeping. And that request… she hoped she didn't actually tell him anything or it would be so embarrassing.

 _Merry Christmas, Black, and thanks for being with me,_ thought White with a smile. She really hoped he would enjoy his vacation. As for herself, the president promised not to ever remove her employee's present until the very end of the day.

…

-12.30 pm-

"Everyone, take a break. Hopefully, we will finish filming this afternoon."

She knew it was a lie. At this rate, they were never going to finish until late. They were trying to maintain morale among the people but it was so poorly done.

The president left the studio and went to the cafeteria. Seeing so many people there suddenly made her feel like spending her lunch break alone. The girl decided to buy her food on the way back to the hotel instead and returned to her room. When White was about to enter, she remembered Black writing something about seeing her _really soon_. She imagined he was already waiting for her inside and greeted her with his usual smile—

But no one was inside.

 _Silly! How can he have the key?_

White took off her coat and beanie but still kept the black scarf around her neck. Then she unwrapped the food and was about to eat before her Xtransceiver rang.

 _Was it…_

"White! Long time no see. How's your Christmas?"

It was her mom; she was calling from her home in Floccesy Town. White sighed but she quickly collected herself. _Why would you ever sigh when your mom calls?_

"Hi, mom! It's strange you're calling me at this time!"

"Strange? How is it strange?" her mom was seen knitting her brow on the screen. "It's Christmas, dear, it's supposed to be reunion time."

"Ummm… uhhh… I'm sorry I can't be home right now." The girl seemed visibly confused. "I'm really busy with work, you know…"

Her mom let out a quiet sigh as if she had predicted this whole thing, a warm smile appearing on her lips as she kindly replied to her daughter,

"I'm not blaming you, dear. You are on a journey of youth and we all know that. Dad says he misses you and so do I. We just want to hear from you. You are not working, aren't you?"

"Yeah, it's lunch break now. I can talk a bit."

And she felt much better now. The feeling of having someone caring for you was always heart-warming especially in a cold day. She thought she should show more concern for her parents by asking them instead of waiting to be asked all the time.

"How's everything at home, Mom?"

"Oh, just like last year. We got our Christmas tree set up; it looks amazing. The only difference is that you're not here. But don't take it serious, dear, it's fine," she smiled but she didn't know her words just filled her daughter with another guilty feeling.

"Where's the boy? Black, right?" her mom asked. "He often says hello every time we call."

"He's not here." A sudden surge of anxiety swept over White as the girl reluctantly replied to her mother. "He's on vacation right now."

"Vacation? But I thought you two work together. Why're you not going?"

"Mom, I can't. I'm still working right now." _Isn't it so obvious_ , she mumbled without being heard.

"Hmm, I'm wondering why… But never mind! I know him… maybe not well enough but he's such a lovely boy."

"I guess so."

The girl subconsciously lowered her voice to a whisper and glanced aside. She was swallowing convulsively in an attempt not to reveal her emotion, but it wasn't that hard for her mom to realize the sudden change in her tone of voice.

"Sweetheart, are you ok?"

"Y-yeah… of course I am!" She managed to calm down and looked at her mom with a smile.

"Don't overwork yourself; you deserve a happy day for yourself, dear. But you need some company, too—"

"MOM!" The girl suddenly yelled. "I'm… I'm fine…"

For a second White knew she lost it but she quickly calmed herself down with a deep breath. She immediately regretted what she just did.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright… I'm sorry too. We… we just want the best for you."

The conversation was followed by a strained silence. White was not sure whether she wanted to keep talking but hanging up was not the best decision if it was her family calling. However, she couldn't think of anything else to say and at the same time, she was questioning her own decision. Was it her fault that she had to deal with all these things and emotions alone? She thought she wanted the best for Black; she didn't really care about herself but—

 _It's not about you, or me._

 _It should be all about us._

 _Because I like you so much!_

"I guess you only have some time left for lunch," her mom said, "so… enjoy your day, sweetheart. Dad says he loves you. And I love you, too."

"I love you, too," the girl replied with a smile.

And they hanged up. White immediately threw her Xtransceiver on her bed. Initially, she expected to feel better after the call. Now there was only loneliness filling her soul.

A single tear welled up from the corner of her eye and before it could fall down her cheek, she wiped it with her finger. Just when she had the idea of throwing her lunch into the trashcan, she remembered Black's words in his letter.

 _He already knew I won't take care of myself properly today?_ The girl smiled and wiped another tear with her scarf. In the end, she managed to finish her lunch and went back to the studio.

…

-9.35 pm-

"And… Cut! Excellent! Excellent work, people!"

Everyone in the studio shouted with joy and clapped loudly to celebrate the completion of the filming process. The pokémon who played in the film were given lots of fresh berries as an instant reward for their roles before a staff member arranged overnight accommodation for them. People wished each other _Merry Christmas_ and asked about their plans for the rest of the day.

 _Phewww, it's finally over,_ White exhaled deeply at the thought. The girl found herself exhausted and only wished to leave the place at once. She wanted to go back to her room where a warm bath awaited her and later she would curl up on her bed for a long sleep. She kept packing up and ignored the fact that people were talking and laughing while leaving the studio. She gave a bow to anyone she came across and hastily exited the building. However, just when she reached the hallway, the girl heard someone calling her name out loud.

"White-san!"

It was the director's assistant. She was running after White and panting slightly.

"Oh, Saito-san. Please take your time. How can I help you?"

"We're having a Christmas party on the top floor in just a few minutes. Would you like to join us? Since everyone agrees that it's quite late to go back home for those who live far off, a party to spend the night is not a bad idea, is it?"

"Errr…"

White didn't know how to reply. The president thought it might not be a bad idea to join this Christmas party, but with an awful lot of new colleagues and clients whom she only had a working relationship with?

"What do you say, White-san?"

 _No, it's definitely a no! But I need an excuse. Can I just say I'm too tired to go?_

"I... I… actually…"

And while struggling to think of a good excuse, the girl suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar silhouette standing on the other side of the street. It was…

"Black?" White whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"Ahhh… I'm so sorry, Saito-san, but I need to go. I have… a… da-te."

"A date?"

"Yes, a date. You know, a date is a… date. I really have to go now," the girl smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, it's alright. Just have fun. Merry Christmas!" said Saito-san with a wink.

"Merry Christmas, Saito-san!"

And she started to head outside. _It was Black. It really was him_.

…

He was standing on the sidewalk.

He didn't see her yet; he was standing there and playfully kicking the snow on the street.

White couldn't walk any more. She had to run. A desire to rush to her best friend and hug him tight suddenly appeared which she tried so hard to refrain from.

Black now saw his president running to him; he couldn't help grinning broadly and waved at her.

"Oh hey, Prez, over here!"

"Black!"

White grabbed Black's hands and radiantly smiled back at him. He blushed a little but still managed to frown at the girl,

"Why are your hands so cold, Prez? Where're your gloves again? Prez-zzz! Do I have to give you a new pair of gloves and stick a note to your forehead so whenever you look at yourself in the mirror before going out, you will remember to wear them?"

"Yes, you should." White giggled, and the boy stopped pretending to be angry, his smile returning on his face. She gently squeezed her friend's hands; they were surprisingly warm and it felt much more pleasant than holding hand warmers. They both looked at each other in the eyes and said nothing but she could feel that he was also happy as she was. For the first time today, she forgot everything that had been bothering her and actually enjoyed the moment, all thanks to Black.

…

But something was wrong, and she just remembered what it was.

It was very wrong.

"P-p-prez… what's with that expression on your face?" Black asked when he saw that deadly expression in her eyes. He stepped one step backwards and realized his hands were being crushed by his president.

"Why. Are. You. Here?" the girl said fiercely. "You're not supposed to be here right now." She now let go of his hands and pointed a finger at his chest. "You agreed to leave for Kalos!"

"What? Wait... I can explain…" He managed to force a smile.

"You wouldn't come back until 2 days later. You-promised-me!"

"P-prez… wait a second—"

Black tried to send an eye signal to his president, and it took the girl an enormous effort to finally get it and realize everyone on the street was staring at them, probably questioning what happened to this young furious girl and her pathetic-seeming _boyfriend_. Both of them blushed furiously and stood there fidgeting for a while until White grabbed Black's wrist and dragged him away from the scene. Black docilely followed his friend to a less crowded street and she eventually let go of him.

"Prez," he said after having carefully studying her behavior. "You don't have to be mad, I can explain—"

"Arghhh! You are telling me not to get mad; just give me a good reason then."

"Prez, didn't you seem quite happy when you saw me earlier?"

This worked more than Black expected. White was blushing again and she couldn't find a way to reply to it. It was correct, she admitted to herself, but she just couldn't tell him so.

"I hate you so much!" the girl muttered.

"Hahah, Prez is back!" And Black could laugh now, knowing that they finally lifted up the tense atmosphere. The girl seemed like she really wanted to laugh too, but she was too proud to allow such thing easily.

"Anyway, I'm not using that as the reason to explain why I'm here. I will tell you the story later but first, tell me, you haven't eaten anything, have you?"

"No, I haven't," she said. He just made her remember how tired she was just some time ago. "We had to finish everything today or it would cost us more money for another day."

"Alright, current status—starving. Let's see…" said Black, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "How about this, I know this place that has excellent _soba noodle_. Once we get there, you can ask me whatever you want."

"Hmmm… sounds good enough. But I want to go back to the hotel first. It will take just a minute, and then we can go eat together."

"Anything you say, Prez."

…

On the way to this eatery Black talked about, they didn't speak much. Black spent this time observing his friend who was looking around the place eagerly. Much to his surprise, the girl showed no signs of her anger earlier whatsoever; instead, she was being quite happy. She would tug at his sleeve so often just to tell him to look at those Christmas decorations on the streets. The way she treated him was quite different from the everyday president he was used to, and he was even surprised at himself for thinking it was strange of her behaving like that. Next to him was just a normal girl. At the moment, she was no longer his president; it was just a girl named White whom he liked very much from deep down in his heart.

It was such an enjoyable walk and eventually they reached their destination. The place was pretty cosy and filled with a pleasant smell of hot soba. They chose a table next to a window and ordered their food.

"I'll have _kamo nanban_ and… Black?" ask White.

"I'll have that too, then," he grinned.

…

While waiting for the food, they both knew this was the time to talk about Black's day. White was ready to know the reason why Black didn't do what she asked of him. As for Black, he was manning up and thinking of the best way to talk about it without triggering her anger again.

"Alright Prez. What do you want to know?"

"Reason. The reason, of course," she said, tapping her fingers on the wooden table in an unusual manner.

"Ok." He subconsciously glanced at her fingers and gulped. "What happened last night in your room—I don't need to talk about that again, right?

"Sure, just tell me what I don't know yet," the girl said, blushing a little.

"Right. After that, I went back to my room and packed my bag. I was about to go to Mistralton City, but then…"

The boy paused longer than he needed, and she was getting impatient so she had to ask him,

"Then what?"

Black suddenly buried his face in his hands and made a small squeak. White's eyes went round in surprise as she had no idea why he was behaving like that.

"Say, Prez, do you like Christmas?" he asked.

"What does it have to do with that?"

"Just say yes or no."

The question turned out to be much harder than she thought. She kind of wanted to give him a yes, but to be honest, she didn't like it that much. But a no also seemed wrong. Remaining neutral would be her best answer.

"Hard to say, isn't it?" Black said before his friend could give him an answer. "The same goes for me. I have loved Christmas since I was a kid, but it was when I could spend it with my family and my friends."

"When I started my journey, I've already known that I might not be home for Christmas, maybe also new year. In other words, I might not even have time for myself at all and I've already prepared myself for that. That, Prez, was the thing I really wanted to tell you but you never gave me a chance."

"Christmas doesn't mean anything to me if I'm alone, Prez. And I never want a trip arranged by my best friend just because she says she wants the best for me."

"If I could do it again, I would definitely still choose to stay and work with you today."

And Black reached inside his bag to take out a plane ticket.

"I'm sorry for not listening to you, Prez. You can be as angry as you want but I just couldn't do that."

He passed it to White and the girl grabbed it with both hands, her hands shaking a little when she received it back from her friend. His reason really moved her in a way that she could hardly explain, and she was having mixed feelings of happiness and sadness at the same time. Hearing how Black honestly wanted to be with her was the best thing happening to her so far today, but the girl was feeling sorry for what she did. She wished she hadn't made a decision for him which ended up with none of them getting what they really wanted.

This ticket was no longer of any use to them; it was just the proof of her stupidity. She wanted to crumple it and tossed it into the fire—

Until she saw _her name_ on it and the girl started to panic.

 _How did he know about my ticket? How could he have it? I remember hiding them really well..._

"How—"

"If I could do it again," said Black, "I would definitely insist that you let me help you until everything is over. And then we can have our trip together tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

 _What does he mean by tomorr—_

And then she saw the number on that ticket. It was neither the ticket she gave him several days ago nor her own one. It was a completely new ticket, with the date of departure being tomorrow.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow," he said with a nod.

"Wha… Wait, wait! Wait a second! Did you actually buy this?"

"I don't think I can afford it even though I asked to pay for it." Black grinned, scratching the back of his head. "I had to meet with Skyla to ask for help, and she agreed to help me change the flight though it took off already. But I was allowed to do that for myself only."

This time, he took out another ticket—his own ticket for tomorrow's trip. The boy gave it to White so she was now holding both in her hands.

"I asked whether I could book one for you too. And Skyla is generous enough to give it for free, only if I promise to be the first to challenge her new gym before it will be officially open next month. She is desperate to find anyone to test it because people keep telling her they don't want to die young."

The girl couldn't believe in what she was hearing. Did Black actually did all of this? How much effort did he put into fixing everything just because he wanted her together as part of the fun?

"Black…" she said, her voice trembling helplessly, "this is just... I don't know what to say…"

"Then you don't need to say anything. Just start packing your bag tonight and we're ready to go."

"You mean… _tomorrow?"_

"Yes, tomorrow."

At that moment, White froze on her seat as she was having a hard time grasping the situation. Everything changed so quickly; she was supposed to listen to a reason and he gave her a whole new plan. And it was even better than her _original plan._

"So… how does that sound, Prez? Did I pass it?" Black asked. He looked quite nervous, having one hand on his chest.

"This is not a test, you idiot." The girl briefly frowned but then her lips slightly curved into a faint smile. She looked around the room once as if she hoped to receive some courage from the environment before giving him her answer.

"I know it sounds like I'm giving the same excuse but please believe me," she said, "when I say I want the best for you, it's the truth. Black… I'm so sorry that I made you leave. I've been always afraid you would soon get fed up with this whole business if I don't do something to release you, but I should have at least listened to you."

"And I'm going to say it again, thank you for everything you've done for me. I love the plan you have for us and I really look forward to tomorrow's trip. You always know how to make me surprised, you know that? I can't imagine not having you with me one day."

"Come on, Prez, that is really stupid!" Black smiled but he was slightly knitting his brows in disagreement. "You sound like I'm going to ditch you one day. I can't just disappear and leave you alone with everything."

"Heheh, I'm sorry!" she smiled sheepishly and Black swore he needed that much daily dose of her cuteness to live every day.

"But next time, I won't agree to let you do that again. You have to promise me!"

"Uhh… I'm not sure—"

"PRE-EEEEZZZ!"

"Ahhh… Ok, I promise!"

They both chuckled at her response. Meanwhile, their food was also served. They sniffed the air eagerly and were about to put their hands together, before Black stopped both of them with a question,

"I'm sorry but, were you about to say something when I... uhh… I can't remember when it was. I think I interrupted you once, is it right?"

"Really? I-I don't think so."

"Oh… ok…"

The girl obviously knew what moment Black was talking about. It was when she feared that Black already knew about her ticket and he could have figured out the trip was initially booked for _both of them_ , until she knew of the change in the plan and decided to get her ticket refunded.

"Hey Black," White said after seeing Black not fully convinced, "after we return from Kalos, I will go back to Floccesy Town to visit my parents. They really want to see you so… would you like to go with me?"

"What? Your parents… want to see me?"

"Yeah, they do."

She saw his eyes sparkling with eagerness, but knowing Black, he would consider it very carefully before making the decision.

"Then how can I say no," he replied.

"Great!" she clapped her hands in delight. "I will call them tomorrow; I'm sure they will like you."

"Hehe, now I know why you are always so kind, Prez. Come on, let's eat when it's still hot. I'm starving already!"

"Itadakimasu," and Black shouted with excitement. White looked at him and smiled, thinking it was right not to let him know about it, and she was relieved that she managed not to give it away. It'd be better if she kept that secret for herself because he had already fixed everything for her.

"Itadakimasu."

…

"So… what did you do today?" asked the girl when they were enjoying their food together.

"Well, I flew back to Nuvema last night. I met with Skyla in Mistralton City and finished everything with her in the morning. Then I flew back home again and had lunch there. I also saw Cheren and Bianca in Nuvema, they also go home for Christmas. Can you believe it's been months since the last time I saw them? It was really fun."

"Woah, your day sounds really amazing."

"Yeah, I know. But it'd be unfair if I just enjoy the day by myself. So I couldn't wait to come back here to see you, Prez. I was afraid you would get mad at me if you saw me during the day, so I had to wait until you finished everything. But you have no idea how long I stood there waiting for you."

"How long? You tell me," the girl curiously asked.

"Three hours, I think… No, three and a half!"

"WHAT?"

The girl had to hide her face behind her hands because a lot of people were looking at her shouting all of a sudden.

"It wasn't a big deal—"

"What're you talking about? You really waited 3 hours and now you're saying it wasn't a big deal?"

"You forget _and a half_ —"

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Are you worried about me?"

"Sheesh! What if you caught a cold or something?"

"Aha, you're saying just like what I wrote in the letter!"

"Gahhhh!"

The president admitted defeat; she couldn't win this type of argument with her employee but Black decided not to let her feel like she lost to him.

"But it's worth," he smiled. "I got to see you and that's all that matters."

They looked at each other in the eyes and said nothing more. Eventually, the girl sniffed, smiling a warm smile and finished her food in silence. Black already finished his dish so he enjoyed the pleasant silence and whistled some Christmas tunes.

…

"So what do we do now? I kind of don't want to go back yet."

"Hmm… let's see," said Black. "Do you want to take a look at the city garden? It's not like the one we saw when we first came here. They decorated it beautifully for Christmas."

"You certainly did your homework really well for today, didn't you?" White said, looking quite surprised at Black's suggestion.

"Just today? How about other days?"

"Oh just stop it already!"

…

And then they headed to the garden. Just like Black said, the famous garden of Striaton City was breathtakingly gorgeous. There were beautiful red, white and green flower beds all over the place. The pokemon-shaped hedges also wore hats and had colorful lights on them. And there was a huge, stunning Christmas tree in the middle of the garden next to the fountain, with a lot of presents at its base.

There were not as many people here as in the city. This made the place look peaceful in one way but it was quite empty. The wind was blowing hard which made Black shiver a little.

"Are you ok?" she worriedly asked.

"Nah, I'm good," Black said, but he was still shivering with cold.

"Ah, I almost forgot! I also have a present for you."

"What? You already gave me one, Prez?" Black said, intentionally trying to mention the trip she planned for him. Meanwhile, White was searching her bag for something.

"No, that doesn't count." The girl smiled as she was now holding out a pretty box on her hands.

"Wow, Prez, th—"

"Stop. Just open it," she eagerly urged him. Black carefully unwrapped the box and took out a _beautiful white scarf_.

"Holy Arceus!" he screamed in surprise. "This is—"

"Here. Let me help you." White took the scarf from him and wrapped it around his neck. "Are you feeling better now?"

"You're definitely the best. Thank you!" His response made White feel so proud and happy. She really wanted to tell him that she _made it herself_ a long time ago and therefore it had no reference to his present. But she thought it would be fun if he could figure it out himself one day.

"Glad you like it." The girl smiled dazzlingly.

They kept walking until they reached the gate way leading out of the city and decided to turn back. Just right before they were about to leave the garden, White saw something above her head that made her slow down to a stop. Black seemed confused but he also did the same.

What White saw was…

 _Mistletoe_! Her heart suddenly beat so fast. The only idea on earth popped into her head and she was hesitating whether she should do it.

This was the only circumstances that he would let her do this. White could tell it out of the corner of her eye that Black was not noticing and that was a good thing.

 _Now, imagine you're in a film, and you have to do it perfectly._

White took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, standing on tiptoes and turning to Black.

 _Just a peck on the cheek._

"Hey Prez, isn't that—"

"…"

Somehow the contact with his cheek wasn't the same thing she had expected. The girl opened her eyes and widened them in surprise as she saw he was doing the same thing; they both realized it at the same time. The moment White made her move, Black turned to her and that did happen.

Their lips met for a second before they both pulled away. Both of them didn't look at each other because they were both blushing crimson.

This was not what the girl expected at all. All she wanted was just a friendly kiss on his cheek, and in case he wanted an explanation from her, she could point at the mistletoe and nothing would happen between them. But now this was different.

That was her first kiss, and she really wanted to share it with Black but only when she knew for sure he also liked her as mush as she liked him. The girl didn't know how to explain to Black, she hid her face behind her hands and groaned quietly,

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to!"

Immediately, she felt Black's hands slowly removing her fingers from her face. His was also blushing, but he was having fire in his eyes.

…

 _Unless she gives me a signal…_ And now Black had all the courage he needed to tell her his true feelings.

"Prez… I've been wanting to tell you this for so long. And I'm going to do it right now…"

"…I like you, Prez!"

 _Am I hearing it wrong?_

"If I tell you that I've always liked you since our first days, if I tell you that I've been waiting so long for this moment to tell you so, would you let me—

And Black didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. At that moment, it felt like time just froze everything, when he suddenly felt her lips touching his own, again.

Of all things in this world, the only things that existed to him now were the sweet scent of her breath and the softness of her lips along with an inward voice speaking to him. It was trying to tell him that he was having the greatest feeling of victory, the most important victory in his life. And Black realized, above the childhood dream he had always had just came another—he must cherish this relationship, he must always love this girl and protect her until the very end.

As for White, she was surprised at first but she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment. Even though it happened so fast, she didn't regret having made the move. Knowing her best friend also liked her was the best thing she could ever imagine, but she couldn't say she was completely surprised at all. Wasn't it true that she had always dreamed of this moment? She just let out her true feelings, giving him her most affectionate kiss and felt his love for her through the way he returned hers. For the first time, she let Black in control because she trusted him, and she knew he would never leave her.

However, she still wanted to tell him,

"Don't leave me!" White whispered between their kiss.

Black broke the kiss and looked into her beautiful ocean blue eyes. He gently kissed both of them and said,

"I won't. Even in your dreams."

The girl happily smiled back; she knew what he really meant but she no longer felt any embarrassment. She pulled him closer for an embrace and whispered again,

"I know you won't."

Black rested his head on her shoulder, a gentle breath of wind trying to lift her hair up in the air as he was keeping it within the embrace. This moment, if possible, could last forever for both of them. And with a tender gesture, Black moved closer to her ears and both of them said it at the same time.

"Merry Christmas, Prez."

"Merry Christmas, Black."

 **\- THE END -**

* * *

 **And that's it! Hope you enjoyed the story. Merry Christmas everyone!**

 _ **...**_

 _ **"She knew he would never leave her" - I lied again (sobs)**_


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